Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Just so...so bad

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

What could be scarier than having a completely mundane and ubiquitous household appliance suddenly sprout fangs, breathe fire and try to eat you? What could be funnier than watching a monster from the depths of Hell try to devour an unsuspecting punk band? Set in a low-rent boarding house, this movie follows the odd little stories of a cornucopia of personal tragedies, that eventually intertwine in a heroic fight against a demonic force of tremendous evil. During a punk band performance. It's all a subtly but expertly tongue-in-cheek story of misfits, losers and lovingly demented people all colliding in a mixed-up nexus of fate and coincidence.The pace of the film is subtle and unassuming. The comedy timing and the dialog are first rate. The performances are right on and the characterizations are all well-drawn. You have sympathy for the poor protagonist, who (via an accidental screwdriver plunge through the neighbor's wall that finds a startled and shrieking target) runs afoul of a struggling but eager punk band. You feel sorry for the electrical repairman who seems so accustomed to his failures that, when faced with tremendous supernatural forces, simply takes them in stride and resignedly reaches for his tool box. It's about common people trying to find their way in this chaotic and unforgiving world. Oh, and while they are at it, unbeknownst to them, the building around them is surreptitiously becoming host to a demonic force.And don't forget the murderess in 2-C who is busy in the kitchen with a tree saw, cutting up the body of her husband, giving flushable pieces to her timid boyfriend who keeps thinking that the remains of the torso might be trying to come back to life.This is a satire/horror/suspense/concert/slice-of-life movie that unassumingly pokes fun at both comedies and horror movies at one shot. From the ominous appearance of a wandering Buddist monk at the start of the film (who barely dodges a giant, flaming meteorite crashing to the Earth) to the audio commentary explaining how the only way the director could get the money to make the movie was to feature a punk rock band in it, you'll be ensnared by this story of the poignant lives and silly fates that befall this odd lot of miscreants. I got some huge laughs out of this film, and if you are familiar with Japanese cinema at all, you'll really get a kick out of it.

The premise is simple. A heater is possessed and out for revenge.The film is described as a comedy horror although there is fighting as the protagonists do try to fight back, but mostly seem to run around in bewilderment. Beyond that I can honestly say I'm not sure what was actually happening. I couldn't get my head round any of it and am left as bewildered as the characters seem to be.Battle Heater demonstrates that it is entirely possible to produce a film which has no merit whatsoever, save making me fall asleep three times while trying to watch it. The film from conception to execution is as dire as it is possible to be. The basic story could have been very funny in the so absurd its good kind of way, but it transcends that and is so bad it is bad. I am always reticent to dismiss any actor's performance because poor performances are so frequently a by-product of a poor script, unfortunately the acting is as poor for its own sake.It may be unfair to comment on the quality of the cinematography, sound etc, as one must be wary that a low budget film has not been transferred to DVD with the greatest of care. I was watching a genuine shop bought copy, not hooky one, so can only assume the transfer to be true. In that case it to was unnecessarily poor.In some ways I am being unfair. Every production has it fans and I can recommend the film to some potential viewers. While it is a different genre, if you enjoyed the quality of the films in the Ator series, then this is for you. In your case you will find it so bad you will find it funny. If that includes you, enjoy, it's as good as bad gets.

Absurdism, caricature, the grotesque and manic physical comedy all feature heavily in this most certainly unique film. To form an opinion of Battle Heater I suppose will depend on what you make of the use of these techniques. Similar in spirit to Alex Cox's Repo Man, the main concern of the film is the demonic Kotatsu that, Little Shop Of Horrors' style, starts devouring any and every human anywhere near it. Technology features heavily in the film, the hero's sidekick worships electricity and uses all his spare time fixing electrical items seemingly beyond repair. The Kotasu that is subsequently fixed turns out to be a killer. Technology versus man? Possibly, but the comic style undermines any pretensions of serious critique. Next door to our hero reside a rock n roll band that constantly terrorize the rest of the building, wanting desperately to be famous. Their fate? Grizzly death. Bearing in mind that the lead actor was in one of Japan's most famous bands is a nice little interplay: an aspiring fictional rock in roll band beating up a real ex rock roll star turned fictional hero? Dangers of fame? Blurring the concepts of reality and fiction? Another wealth of postmodernist concerns? Hmmm. If you were to look in depth I'm sure you could make something out of many such interplays/ juxtapositions but would it really be worth it? Probably not, and I think the slapstick style and comic book effects echo the fact that it's a film that doesn't want to be taken seriously. It could even be a parody of Lynch. But again it shares the most with Repo Man, the absurdity, visual impact and repeating and interlinked themes suggest that there is a subtext scratching at the surface and someone with the time and inclination could argue a very good case for it being worthy of consideration as more than just a wacky horror/comedy.But I think i'd rather just laugh this time around.